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EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 


Emancipation  of  the  Slavs 

LETTERS  PUBLISHED  IN  THE  SUN 
OF  NEW  YORK 

BY  JULIUS  A.  HUPERT,  M.  D. 


NEW  BRITAIN 

PUBLISHED  BY  THE  AUTHOR 

MDCCCCXIX 


nf'1 


o^ 


COPYRIGHT,    I  91  9,   BY 
YALE  UNIVERSITY  PRESS 


y 


•  * 


"The  dismemberment  of  Austria-Hungary ,  the 
creation  of  independent  republics  of  every  race,  is 
the  only  guarantee  of  a  permanent  peace  in  Europe. 
The  present  war  may  fulfill  that  mission  partially  or 
completely.  If  the  latter  results,  the  war  will  be 
blessed  by  future  generations/* — Dr.  Julius  A. 
Hupert,  in  The  Hartford  Times,  August  15,  19 14. 


393294 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Emancipation  of  the  Slavs  as  an  Issue  of 

the  War 9 

II.  A  League  of  Nations.  Certain  Prelimi- 
nary Requirements  of  Its  Formation  .      19 

III.  Protest  against  Teaching  German.  Ad- 

vocate  Spread  of   English  Language 
Around  World 24 

IV.  Banish  Language  of  Hun  from  United 

States 31 

V.  German  in  the  Schools.  Its  Elimination 
Urged  in  Behalf  of  a  Future  Decent 

World 35 

VI.  Lusitania  Day 40 

VII.  The  Irreducible  Minimum  that  Poland 

Demands — September  26,  19 17    .      .     44 

VIII.  The  Pole's  Nationality 49 

IX.  Poland  and  Germany.  A  Dissection  of 
the  Infamous  Terms  Offered  by  the 

Prussians 52 

X.  Burian's  Pretences    .      .      .      .  ;  ...      .      56 

XI.  Beat  Germany — March  13,  1918.      .      61 

XII.  The  Causes  of  the  War       ....      63 


[7] 


I 

EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS  AS 
AN  ISSUE  OF  THE  WAR 

AMERICA    SHOULD    HAVE    AN    IMPORTANT 
PART  IN  THE  SOLUTION  OF  THIS  GREAT 
.    RACE  PROBLEM 

The  material  issues  of  this  war  are  many  and 
mighty. 

First.  The  curbing  forever  of  Germany's  am- 
bition to  dominate  Europe,  America  and  the 
world. 

Second.  The  emancipation  of  the  Slavs  and 
other  nations  oppressed  by  Austria-Hungary, 
Germany,  and  the  late  Czaristic  Russia. 

Third.  Replacement  of  autocracy  by  demo- 
cratic forms  of  government. 

Fourth.  The  arousing  of  America  to  an  active 
participation  in  the  settlement  of  world  policies, 
and  to  the  realization  of  her  great  national  des- 
tiny to  be  the  maker  of  a  peace  giving  freedom 
and  independence  to  all  Slav  and  other  op- 

[9] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 
pressed  nations,  to  be  the  warrantor  and  guard- 
ian of  a  just  and  lasting  peace  and  of  the  sacred- 
ness  of  international  obligations.  That  mission 
of  America  and  the  coming  emancipation  of  the 
oppressed  Slav  nations  make  it  necessary  for 
the  United  States  to  plan  a  permanent  policy 
toward  the  Slavs. 

America  is  the  great  hope  of  the  Slavs.  America 
must  be  the  liberator  of  the  Slav  nations.  She 
must  organize  and  finance  the  political,  indus- 
trial and  economic  institutions  of  the  resur- 
rected Slav  nations,  not  as  a  matter  of  phi- 
lanthropy, but  as  an  urgent  commercial  and 
political  business  of  immense  benefit  to  both  the 
contracting  parties. 

Traditional  American  policy  of  no  "entan- 
gling alliances"  must  be  replaced  by  one  of  EARLY 
PLANNING  AND  EVER  READINESS  AND  POWERFUL 
ALLIANCES,  because  of  the  hostility  of  the  whole 
German  race  toward  Americans.  It  is  right  to 
assume  that  this  enmity  will  last  at  least  until 
the  whole  German  nation  is  cured  of  her  con- 
stitutional and  mental  disease  expressed  by  her 
ambitions  to  dominate  the  world.  To  be  safe,  we 
must  assume  that  the  Germans  after  their  first 
failure  to  conquer  the  world  will  try  it  again  and 

[IO] 


AN   ISSUE  OF  THE  WAR 

again ;  that  we  MUST  BE  PREPARED  FOR  THE  NEXT 
WAR,  not  only  by  complete  military  prepared- 
ness, but  also  by  powerful  political  alliances. 

I  venture  the  opinion  that  for  the  future  safety 
of  our  country,  South  America,  Europe  and  the 
world  it  is  more  important  to  free  all  Slav 
nations  and  Russia  from  German  domination 
than  to  liberate  only  Alsace-Lorraine,  Belgium 
and  compromise  on  the  Slav  problems.  If  WE 
allow  Germany  to  keep  and  exploit  the 
western  Slavs,  Russia  and  the  Balkan 
nations,  Germany  will  be  invincible  and 
she  will  again  attack  the  entente  nations 
and  win  a  political  and  commercial  domi- 
nation of  the  world. 

The  right  settlement  of  the  Slav  problems  by 
the  Allies  is  of  the  utmost  importance  and  of 
great  urgency.  It  was  impossible  to  do  it  when 
Czaristic  Russia  was  alive  with  her  policy  of 
Panslavism  and  aspirations  to  rule  in  Constan- 
tinople. The  western  and  southern  Slavs  were 
justly  more  afraid  of  Panslavism  than  of  Pan- 
Germanism.  Panslavism  meant  death  to  their 
independent  national  lives.  Panslavism's  real 
objects  were  to  gradually  deprive  the  other  small 
Slav  nations  of  all  institutions  of  national  inde- 

["] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

pendence — a  Russification  by  force  and  cruel 
persecution. 

Fear  of  Panslavism  and  a  Russian  Constanti- 
nople drove  Bulgaria  and  Turkey  into  the  arms 
of  the  Teutons.  The  Allies,  excluding  America, 
were  agreed  to  allow  a  free  hand  to  Russia  in 
the  settlement  of  the  Slav  problems  as  far  as 
September,  19 17.  Since  then  conditions  have 
changed  and  the  Allies  have  not  to  sacrifice  the 
interests  of  the  western  and  southern  Slavs  to 
satisfy  the  Panslavistic  greed  of  a  Czaristic  Rus- 
sia. Russia  is  only  one  of  the  Slav  nations.  The 
other  Slav  nations  do  not  want  to  be  re- 
ferred TO  AS  PEOPLES,  RACES  OR  PARTS  OF  RUSSIA. 

They  have  nothing  in  common  with  Russia, 
but  that  they  all  are  slavs. 
To  make  the  Slav  nations  united  and  independ- 
ent Austria  must  be  dismembered.  It  is  so 
obvious  that  it  does  not  need  explanation.  Aus- 
tria cannot  make  a  separate  peace,  nor  can  she  be 
a  federation  of  equally  independent  units.  Both 
parties,  the  German  Magyar  minority  and  the 
Slav  majority,  rebel  against  such  a  state  of  affairs. 
The  minority  wants  to  continue  her  unspeakable 
oppression  of  the  majority.  The  majority  must 
have    independence.    The    German    provinces 

[12] 


AN  ISSUE  OF  THE  WAR 
united  to  Germany,  an  independent  Magyar 
land,  the  different  Slav  and  Latin  nations  freed 
and  united  in  independent  states  must  be  Aus- 
tria's end.  Any  other  solution  is  POLITICAL  HY- 
POCRISY AND  MAKES  ABSURD  ANY  PEACE  IN 
REGARD  TO  CLAIMS  OF  JUSTICE  OR  PERMANENCY. 

America  is  best  fitted  to  champion  the  cause  of 
all  Slavs,  because : 

i.  Her  motives  in  this  war  are  unselfish. 

2.  Of  all  Allies,  she  is  best  known,  most  re- 
spected and  beloved  by  all  Slav  nations,  great 
and  small. 

3.  She  has  the  means  to  do  it. 

4.  Ten  million  or  more  of  ties  are  binding 
America  and  Slavdom  through  the  Slavish  resi- 
dents in  America  and  their  descendants. 

5.  Her  real  democracy  and  her  mental  and 
emotional  make-up  appeal  strongly  to  the  hearts 
and  souls  of  Slavdom. 

6.  It  will  bring  to  the  United  States  the  greatest 
moral  satisfaction  of  a  colossal  task  well  per- 
formed for  humanity  and  civilization's  sake. 

7.  It  means  for  America  immense  commercial, 
industrial  and  financial  expansion  and  a  political 
alliance  of  paramount  importance  to  curb  any 
future  attempts  of  Germany  at  world  conquest. 

[13] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

The  terms  of  a  just  settlement  of  the  Slavish 
problems  are : 

First.  America  and  the  Allies  declare  in  a 
signed  proclamation  to  stand  not  only  by  Russia, 
but  by  all  western  and  southern  Slav  nations 
and  to  support  their  claims  to  be  united,  abso- 
lutely independent  and  democratic  states.  Such 
a  declaration  is  necessary  to  counteract  German 
propaganda  that  tells  the  Slavs  that  the  Allies 
are  selfish  and  not  interested  in  Slav  aspirations 
to  freedom. 

Second.  America  and  the  Allies  declare  for: 

(a)  A  free  United  Poland  composed  of  all 
lands  genuinely  Polish,  with  access  to  the  seas  by 
way  of  Danzig  and  the  Baltic  coast.  That  the 
Allies  have  done  partly. 

(b)  An  independent  Bohemia,  composed  of 
Bohemia,  Moravia,  parts  of  Silesia  and  the 
land  of  the  Slovaks.  Bohemia  must  be  given  free 
access  to  the  Black  Sea  by  free  navigation  rights 
on  the  Danube  and  access  to  the  Baltic  Sea  by 
privilege  to  use  a  Polish  port  in  exchange  for 
free  transit  of  Polish  goods  through  Bohemia 
to  the  Danube,  which  must  be  made  an  inter- 
national waterway. 

(c)  An  independent  Greater  Serbia,  composed 


AN   ISSUE  OF  THE  WAR 
of   Slavonia,   Croatia,   Dalmatia,   Montenegro, 
Bosnia  and  Serbia  proper. 

(d)  For  a  free  Ukraine,  whose  frontier  must 
be  determined  by  a  commission  representing 
Ukraine  and  Greater  Russia.  Ukraine  is  a  crea- 
tion of  the  Teuton  powers.  There  never  was  a 
state  known  as  Ukraine  or  a  Ukrainian  nation 
with  distinct  frontiers  and  political  traditions 
of  an  independent  State.  The  upper  classes,  all 
educated  classes  of  Ukraine,  considered  them- 
selves, until  recently,  Russians.  The  peasants  talk 
a  Slavic  language,  called  the  Little  Russian,  and 
did  not  aspire  in  Russia  to  form  a  separate  dis- 
tinct nation.  Only  the  Little  Russian  peasants 
and  clergy  in  Galicia  were  taught  by  the  Aus- 
trians  to  claim  a  separate  nationality.  The  Little 
Russians  are  a  subdivision  of  the  Great  Russian 
race.  If  they  desire  now  to  form  a  separate  state 
there  are  no  reasons  to  oppose  it.  White  Russia 
cannot  have  any  just  claims  to  form  an  independ- 
ent state. 

(e)  For  a  free,  independent  Lithuania.  It  is 
worth  while  to  take  under  serious  consideration 
the  creation  of  a  Baltic  republic  on  lines  of  Swit- 
zerland, composed  of  Lithuania,  Courland  and 
Esthonia.   Those    Baltic   peoples   were   united 

[15] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 
before  in  the  Kingdom  of  Poland,  and  later 
under  Russia.  They  have  many  common  interests 
and  traditions  and  would  be  able  to  form  a  strong 
and  prosperous  state.  Such  a  republic  patterned 
on  the  Swiss  Republic  could  respect  the  rights  of 
the  German  minorities  in  those  provinces. 

(f )  The  rest  of  Russia  to  be  free  and  independ- 
ent Great  Russia  without  further  subdivisions. 
Autonomy  to  the  Caucasian  races  in  federation 
with  Russia  could  be  granted  if  those  people  are 
fit  for  self-government. 

Third.  America  and  the  Allies  declare  that  all 
Slavic  nations  must  have  free  access  to  the  seas 
and  ports  free  of  ice.  That  only  can  assure  the 
Slavs  a  free  development  of  industry  and  com- 
merce, prevent  their  economic  enslavement  by 
Germany  and  give  the  Slavic  nations  direct 
access  to  the  markets  of  the  Allies  and  America, 
not  by  the  way  of  Hamburg  and  Bremen. 

Fourth.  America  declares  her  readiness  to  or- 
ganize and  finance  the  commerce  and  industry 
of  the  new  Slav  states  by  long  term  loans,  by 
building  of  railroads  and  factories,  and  cover- 
ing the  new  state  with  a  network  of  strong  fi- 
nancial institutions,  not  to  exploit  the  Slavic 
countries,  but  to  build  up  and  develop  on  terms 

[16] 


AN  ISSUE  OF  THE  WAR 
of  helpful  partnership  in  all  important  branches 
of  commerce  and  industry.  In  1916  I  had  infor- 
mation that  Poland's  future  was  at  the  mercy  of 
Germany,  which  after  destroying  Poland's  na- 
tional wealth  was  making  arrangements  to  get 
absolute  control  of  Poland's  future  raw  ma- 
terials, Poland's  future  commerce  and  industry. 
The  same  policy  of  merciless  exploitation  by 
Germany  will  apply  to  Lithuania,  Ukraine  and 
the  whole  of  Russia,  if  America  and  the  Allies 
do  not  take  proper  steps  at  once  to  counteract  it. 
Fifth.  America  and  the  Allies  will  safeguard 
their  own  interests  and  the  freedom  of  the  world 
best  by  forming  a  permanent  military  and  com- 
mercial and  political  alliance  with 

(a)  A  Central  European  League,  composed  of 
Poland,  Lithuania,  Bohemia  and  Ukraine. 

(b)  The  Balkan  League,  composed  of  Greater 
Serbia,  Bulgaria,  Rumania,  Greece. 

(c)  Great  Russia. 

The  creation  of  a  Central  European  League  of 
Poland,  Ukraine,  Lithuania  and  Bohemia  and 
the  restoration  of  the  former  Balkan  League, 
including  Rumania,  are  political  necessities  to 
safeguard  the  independence  of  those  small 
nations. 

[17] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

Such  a  solution  of  the  Slavic  problems  is  the 
only  just  one,  the  only  guarantee  of  a  lasting 
peace,  the  only  way  to  curb  the  German  ambi- 
tions to  dominate  the  world.  To  MAKE  IT  ALL 
possible  Germany  must  first  be  beaten.  She 
will  admit  defeat  only  when  the  allies' 
armies  cross  the  rhine  and  not  before. 
America  will  find  the  means,  the  courage  and 
perseverance  to  perform  this  colossal  task. 

Hail  to  America,  the  great  and  only  help  of 
the  Slav,  whose  emancipation  is  one  of  the  great 
issues  of  this  war! 

June  17,  1918. 


[18] 


II 

A  LEAGUE  OF  NATIONS 

CERTAIN  PRELIMINARY  REQUIREMENTS  OF 
ITS  FORMATION 

The  project  of  a  league  of  nations  is  fathered 
by  great  men,  such  as  President  Wilson,  Vis- 
count Grey,  Lord  Bryce  and  other  well-known 
statesmen.  Being  the  expression  of  lofty  ideal- 
ism, it  has  met  in  democratic  countries  with  a 
widespread  and  hearty  acceptance.  The  pur- 
poses and  aims  would  be: 

First,  to  prevent  war,  threatening  to  ruin  civil- 
ization by  the  immensity  of  its  horrors  and  waste 
on  account  of  the  rapid  perfection  of  all  instru- 
ments of  warfare,  and  to  abolish  destruction  of 
life  and  national  wealth ; 

Secondly,  to  settle  international  disputes  by  a 
tribunal  of  arbitration  and  board  of  conciliation 
in  accord  with  a  code  of  international  laws  and 
rules  made  by  the  collective  efforts  of  all  part- 
ners of  the  league ; 

Thirdly,  to  effect  a  universal,  real,  military  and 

[19] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 
naval  disarmament  to  curb  burdensome  expenses 
for  costly  future  armaments  and  by  such  disar- 
mament to  enable  all  nations  to  pay  off  their 
national  debts ; 

Fourthly,  to  create  a  friendly  international  co- 
operation in  all  labors  directed  to  raise  the  eco- 
nomical, social  and  political  standards  of  all 
units  of  the  league.  The  unselfish  aims  of  such  a 
union  are  so  ideal  that  many  doubt  that  such  a 
league  is  possible. 

The  difficulties  ahead  are  great.  The  experience 
of  mankind  and  history  teaches  us  that  hereto- 
fore all  disputes  between  nations  have  ultimately 
been  settled  by  the  force  of  arms,  that  peace  has 
followed  every  war  and  war  has  followed  peace. 
Nobody  can  deny  it.  Human  nature  has  not  lost 
its  ferocity,  but  rather  increased  it,  if  we  judge 
by  the  terrible  cruelties  perpetrated  in  this  war. 
The  passion  for  national  unity  and  independ- 
ence is  the  supreme  instinct  and  the  supreme 
right  of  all  free  and  oppressed  nations,  and  use 
of  force  and  war  is  accepted  as  the  last  resort  to 
defend  or  get  national  freedom  and  rights,  as  it 
is  done  now.  No  nation  can  or  will  renounce  that 
supreme  right. 

Apparently  the  obstacles  are  colossal,  but  the 

[20] 


A  LEAGUE   OF  NATIONS 

benefits  of  a  real  union  of  nations  would  be  so 
immense  that  a  league  of  nations  may  be  formed 
if  the  following  preliminary  essential  conditions 
of  a  league  are  established  as  the  result  of  this 
world  war: 

i.  German  militarism,  the  real  and  great  ob- 
stacle of  a  union  of  nations,  must  be  broken  by  a 
crushing  defeat  of  the  German  armies. 

2.  All  oppressed  European  nations  and  all  non- 
Turkish  races  in  the  Ottoman  Empire  must  be 
free  and  independent  nations.  That  condition 
demands  the  dismemberment  of  Austria  and 
Turkey. 

3.  All  states  must  have  constitutions 
based  on  really  democratic  principles.  it  is 
not  a  question  of  constitutional  monarchy 
or  republic.  That  decision  may  be  taken  by 
the  respective  nations.  but  the  acceptance 
of  democratic  principles  by  all  present  in- 
dependent nations  and  all  nations  to  be 
reconstructed  and  freed  by  the  war  must  be 
one  of  the  principal  terms  of  peace.  to 
regard  it,  as  heretofore,  as  an  internal 
affair  of  each  state  is  not  right,  because  on 
the  real  democracy  of  the  respective  states 
depends  the  peace  of  the  world.  by  making 

[21] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

THE  ACCEPTANCE  OF  DEMOCRATIC  PRINCIPLES 
OBLIGATORY  FOR  ALL  NATIONS  NO  ONE  SHALL 
HAVE  REASON  TO  OBJECT. 

Don't  we  know  that  in  many  countries,  on  ac- 
count of  privileged  classes,  the  democratization 
of  the  government  would  be  slow  or  impossible 
without  outside  pressure  from  the  existing  de- 
mocracies? That  is  the  only  way  to  make  "the 
world  safe  for  democracy."  The  WORLD  IS  NOT 
yet  democratic,  so  autocracies  must  be  re- 
placed by  democracies  by  the  terms  of  the 
coming  peace. 

The  democratic  principles  to  be  accepted 
by  all  nations  should  be : 

First,  universal,  equal,  secret  ballot  is 
given  all  men  in  every  country. 

Secondly,  woman  suffrage  is  conceded. 

Thirdly,  parliamentary  representation  is 
to  be  based  on  the  number  of  votes,  not  dis- 
TRICTS. 

Fourthly,  parliamentary  responsibility  of 
ministry  will  be  enforced. 

Fifthly,  the  declaration  of  war  and  mak- 
ing OF  PEACE  ARE  TO  BE  THE  RIGHT  OF  THE  PAR- 
LIAMENTS BY  FOUR-FIFTHS  OF  THE  NUMBER  OF 
MEMBERS. 

[22] 


A  LEAGUE  OF  NATIONS 

Sixthly,  the  right  to  veto  the  declaration 
of  war  is  conceded  to  the  international 
tribunal  at  the  hague.  all  are  to  accept 
the  judgment  of  the  international  court. 
In  exceptional  cases  the  tribunal  at  The 
Hague  may  recommend  a  reconsideration 
of  the  declaration  of  war  by  newly  elected 
parliaments  of  the  nations  involved,  prom- 
ising non-interference.  that  would  make  a 
local  war  theoretically  possible,  but  in 
practice  very  difficult  on  account  of  the 
influence  of  woman  suffrage,  new  elec- 
tions and  delays. 

Seventhly,  open  diplomacy,  the  publish- 
ing OF  ALL  TREATIES  BETWEEN  NATIONS  MUST  BE 
ENFORCED.  ALL  NATIONS  MUST  HAVE  ACCESS  TO 
AND  THE  FREEDOM  OF  THE  SEAS.  If  such  prelim- 
inary conditions  can  be  established  as  the  result 
of  this  war,  the  formation  and  successful  main- 
tenance of  a  league  of  nations,  based  on  inter- 
national, military  and  naval  force  and  mutual 
pledge  and  faith  to  obey  international  rules,  may 
become  a  reality. 

Dr.  Julius  Hupert. 

New  Britain,  Conn.,  October  4. 

[23] 


Ill 

PROTEST  AGAINST  TEACHING 
GERMAN 

ADVOCATE  SPREAD  OF  ENGLISH  LANGUAGE 
AROUND  WORLD 

Having  passed  through  eight  classes  of  a  Ger- 
man gymnasium  and  spent  over  two  years  at  the 
German  university  of  Vienna,  being  very  fa- 
miliar with  the  German,  English,  French^ 
Polish  and  Rumanian  languages  and  having 
studied  some  time  ago  the  Dutch,  Malay  and 
Italian,  I  may  know  something  of  the  impor- 
tance of  foreign  tongues  in  one's  life  work.  My 
experience  has  been  broadened  and  matured  by 
three  years  of  travel  all  over  the  world. 

The  Germans  study  French,  English,  Italian, 
Spanish  and  Russian.  They  do  it  because,  to  live 
and  prosper,  they  must  sell  goods  to  people  who 
talk  those  foreign  tongues.  Many  hundred  mil- 
lions, who  were  the  best  German  customers,  have 
a  natural  and  justified  antipathy  to  the  German 

[24] 


PROTEST  TEACHING  GERMAN 

language,  so  the  Germans  must  study  their  cus- 
tomers' tongues.  It  is  obvious  that  the  Americans 
must  also  study  Spanish,  Italian,  French  and 
Russian  to  meet  the  German  salesman  on  even 
terms  in  those  respective  countries.  For  an  Amer- 
ican salesman  to  try  to  trade  in  German  for  the 
next  hundred  years  with  any  of  the  present  allied 
nations  after  this  war  is  to  commit  commercial 
suicide.  FRENCH,  RUSSIAN,  ITALIAN  AND  SPAN- 
ish are  the  foreign  tongues  necessary  to 
the  commercial  men  of  our  country,  and 
not  German. 

The  German  language  is  welcome  only  in 
Germany,  in  the  German-Austrian  provinces 
AND  BY  A  GREAT  NUMBER  OF  JEWS,  who  talk 
Juedisch,  a  German  jargon.  Nobody  else  loves 
German.  The  German  business  men  talk  Eng- 
lish, so  the  American  salesman  does  not  need  to 
bargain  with  them  in  broken  German  when  he 
can  honor  the  Teutons  by  talking  with  them  in 
English.  There  is  no  commercial  good  reason 
for  American  boys  to  torture  their  tongues  and 
poison  their  minds  by  the  study  of  German. 

The  commercial  transactions  in  the  United 
States,  Asia,  Australia  and  Africa  are  not  and 
shall  never  be  made  in  German.  English  is  there 

[25] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

supreme;  Spanish  in  Latin  America.  With 
regard  to  knowledge  of  foreign  languages 
the  United  States  is  better  provided  than 
any  other  country.  the  sons  of  our  immi- 
grants talk  all  the  languages  of  the  world. 
Pick  them  out, and  give  them  a  commercial 
training  and  send  them  to  all  corners  of 
our  globe. 

The  Germans  study  foreign  tongues  because  the 
educated  and  upper  classes  admire  them  as  beau- 
tiful languages  giving  them  access  to  the  richest 
and  most  artistic  literature  of  the  world.  In  this 
foreign  literature  only  can  they  satisfy  their  taste 
for  the  beautiful,  when  they  have  it,  and  find 
models  and  inspiration  for  German  writings, 
which  iare  mostly  imitations  of  foreign  novels, 
dramas  and  poetry.  If  that  is  so,  why  should  an 
American  boy  study  German?  We  must  recom- 
mend to  him  perfect  English  and  French,  or 
Russian,  or  Spanish,  but  no  German. 

Some  say  scientific  works  are  published  in  Ger- 
man. The  few  specialists  will  FIND  ENGLISH 
TRANSLATIONS  of  anything  worth  while. 

The  German  language  is  a  rough  and  poor  lan- 
guage. The  study  of  it  is  very  trying  and  un- 

[26] 


PROTEST  TEACHING  GERMAN 

pleasant.  The  constant  presence  of  "der,"  "die" 
and  "das,"  the  numberless  foreign  and  com- 
pound words,  the  confusing  use  of  auxiliary 
verbs,  koenen,  sollen,  wollen,  moegen,  haben, 
werden  and  lassen — the  use  of  verbs  at  the  end 
of  the  sentence,  the  German  grammar  and  syn- 
tax in  general,  make  the  German  language  a 
very  unwelcome  and  tiresome  study  for  the  Slav, 
the  French,  and  I  suppose  the  American  boy. 
Why  torture  his  mind  with  such  stuff  when  there 
is  no  real  necessity  for  it? 

Another  very  important  consideration:  By 
teaching  German  in  public  schools  we  help 
German  propaganda  and  the  German  national 
aims.  What  are  these  aims?  They  are  and  will  be 
until  the  Germans  are  subdued  by  the  Allies' 
ARMS  AND  TRADE  BOYCOTT  AND  CULTURAL  OSTRA- 
CISM AS  FOLLOWS : 

First.  WELTHERRSCHAFT,  WHICH  MEANS 
WORLD  CONQUEST  BY  FORCE  OF  ARMS. 

Second.  Welthandel,  WHICH  MEANS  SU- 
PREMACYINTHE  WORLD  FORTHE  GERMANTRADE, 
BASED  NOT  ON  FAIR  AND  PEACEFUL  COMPETITION, 
BUT  ON  SPECIAL  PRIVILEGES,  THE  RESULT  OF  VIC- 
TORIES IN  WAR  ANNEXATIONS  AND  INDEMNITIES. 

[27] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

Third.  TO  MAKE  OF  THE  GERMAN  KULTUR  A 

weltkultur,  and  of  the  german  language 
a  weltsprache.  by  teaching  german  in  pub- 
lic schools  you  help  to  make  the  german 
language  a  weltsprache.  unintentionally 
you  help  to  spread  german  kultur  and 
Germanism. 

The  present  and  the  future  interests  of  this 
country  demand  the  exclusion  from  public 
schools  of  the  teaching  of  German  and  THE  SUB- 
STITUTION of  French,  Spanish  and  Russian. 
The  national  policies  and  the  commercial  in- 
terests of  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain 
must  suggest  to  statesmen  with  the  proper  fore- 
sight a  systematic  and  very  active  propaganda 
for  the  English  language  among  the  Slavs 
and  Latin  nations.  The  field  has  been  neg- 
lected. The  Anglo-Saxon  world  and  the 
United  States  in  particular  ought  to  create 
a  hundred  million  dollar  fund  for  such  a 

PROPAGANDA.  By  proper  diplomatic  negotiations 
they  can  get  the  privilege  to  open  in  the  Allied 
countries,  in  every  city  of  20,000  inhabitants  or 
more,  an  AGENCY  FOR  ENGLISH  CULTURE.  The 
tasks  of  such  centers  would  be : 

[28] 


PROTEST  TEACHING  GERMAN 

i.  Teaching  of  the  English  language  free  of 
charge. 

2.  The  support  of  a  free  English  library. 

3.  The  training  of  youth  in  English  games, 
sports,  athletics  and  English  culture. 

4.  The  stimulation  of  trade  with  the  United 
States  and  Great  Britain. 

5.  All  religious  and  political  propaganda  in 
such  centers  must  be  strictly  forbidden.  By  doing 
it  you  will  confer  a  great  boon  on  the  Slav  and 
other  nations  and  strike  mortal  blows  at  the  ag- 
gressive Germanism,  WHOSE  ATTEMPTS  AT 
WORLD  CONQUEST  BY  GERMAN  ARMS  FOR  GERMAN 
TRADE  AND  KULTUR  AND  LANGUAGE  WILL  NOT 
END  WITH  THE  PRESENT  WAR. 

I  regard  the  immediate  organization  of 
agencies  of  English  culture  in  foreign  countries 
as  of  great  importance  to  the  United  States.  After 
THIS  WAR  THE  UNITED  STATES  CAN  NEVER 
RETURN  TO  THE  STATUS  OF  ISOLATION  AND  IN- 
DIFFERENCE TO  WORLD  POLICIES.  America's  na- 
tional destiny  is  and  must  be  to  lead  all  nations  in 
the  affairs  of  the  world.  For  such  leadership  she 
must  plan  and  prepare.  A  long  and  bitter  strug- 
gle of  a  just,  humanitarian,   progressive   and 

[29] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

democratic  Americanism  against  the  most  effi- 
cient and  satanic  powers  of  Germanism  is  in 
progress.  By  pushing  forward  the  English  lan- 
guage and  hindering  the  spread  of  German  we 
shall  help  in  one  way  Americanism  to  triumph. 

May  3,  1918. 


[30] 


IV 

BANISH  LANGUAGE  OF  HUN  FROM 
UNITED  STATES 

My  protest,  published  in  The  Sun  of  May  7, 
against  the  teaching  of  German  in  our  public 
schools  gets  every  day  more  friends.  For  na- 
tional reasons  of  great  importance  to  the  present 
and  future  safety  of  our  country  we  must  go 
further  in  our  well-understood  and  from  the 
American  point  of  view  well-justified  endeavors 
to  bar  German  from  our  country  and  promote 
by  all  means  the  spread  and  study  of  English. 
Every  true  American  must  have  a  passion  to  see 
English  take  the  place  of  German  in  the  homes 
in  America  where  German  is  spoken.  If  he  does 
not  he  is  ignorant  of  the  power  of  one's  language 
or  is  a  camouflaged  American  or  a  soft  senti- 
mentalist, alias  weakling,  in  regard  to  national 
policies. 

One  of  the  articles  of  the  German  national 
credo  is  that  the  position  of  the  Germans  in  the 
world  depends  on  the  number  of  the  people  who 
will  talk  in  the  future  German. 

[31] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

One  of  the  principal  national  aims  of  Germany 
is  to  make  her  kultur  a  "Weltkultur"  and  her 
language  a  "Weltsprache."  For  that  purpose 
they  have  great  funds  for  German  schools  and 
propaganda  of  German  kultur  in  foreign  lands. 
What  they  can't  do  by  those  means  they  hope  to 
impose  by  the  might  of  their  arms.  How  much 
the  Germans  think  of  the  power  of  one's  lan- 
guage shows  plainly  their  cruel  prosecution  of 
the  Polish  language  in  the  provinces  of  old 
Poland  under  German  rule.  Polish  is  the  natives' 
language,  but  it  is  eliminated  from  schools, 
public  life  and  worship  in  German  Poland. 

What  shall  we  do  here?  What  we  do  must  be 
done  well  and  at  once  and  by  federal  authority 
or  action  of  Congress  to  make  it  nation-wide. 

Let  us  eliminate  the  teaching  of  German  from 
public  schools,  private  schools  and  Sunday 
schools. 

Forbid  our  public  libraries  to  lend  to  readers 
German  books  and  our  city  and  state  officials  to 
spend  public  money  for  buying  of  German 
books. 

Forbid  the  printing  and  sale  of  German  news- 
papers. If,  as  sentimentalists  claim,  there  are 
Americans  who  do  not  know  English,  they  must 

[32] 


BANISH    LANGUAGE   OF   HUN 

be  ashamed  of  it.  Such  ones  need  urgently  Eng- 
lish primers,  but  certainly  not  German  news- 
papers. 

Forbid  the  use  of  the  German  language  at  pub- 
lic meetings. 

Make  English  the  official  language  of  all 
societies  and  lodges. 

Forbid  in  war  time  the  use  of  German  in  tele- 
phonic conversation  and  telegrams. 

An  invitation  ought  to  be  sent  to  all  German 
churches  to  replace,  when  and  where  possible, 
the  German  language  in  worship  by  the  English 
as  a  voluntary  demonstration  of  loyal  Ameri- 
canism. Confine  the  use  of  German  to  homes 
only  and  leave  it  optional  with  the  German 
churches  as  a  language  of  worship. 

All  Teutons,  subjects  of  the  two  Kaisers, 
are  enemies  of  the  american  nation. 
Neither  the  hatred  of  America  by  Germany 
will  end  with  the  present  war  nor  will 
the  plans  and  attempts  of  the  german  na- 
tion to  dominate  the  world  end  with  her 
first  failure.  the  germans  will  try  it 
again  and  again.  the  sooner  we  realize 
that  the  struggle  of  americanism  against 
Germanism  is  going  to  last  for  many  years 

[33] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 
the  better  will  we  be  prepared  to  meet  suc- 
cessfully the  many  forms  of  german  en- 
mity, a  passion  for  all  things  english  in 
the  United  States  is  neither  hysteria  nor 
fanaticism  nor  silly  hatred.  it  is  a  healthy, 
vigorous  national  policy  and  absolutely 
necessary  for  the  future  well-being  of  our 
country.  at  the  end  of  this  war  we  must 
have  all  the  melting  elements  of  our  coun- 
try melted  into  loyal  americanism,  and 
English  must  be  the  language  of  every 
home  in  the  united  states. 

May  30,  1918. 


[34] 


V 
GERMAN  IN  THE  SCHOOLS 

ITS  ELIMINATION  URGED  IN  BEHALF  OF  A 
FUTURE  DECENT  WORLD 

G.  W.  K.  did  not  read  well  my  protest  against 
the  retention  of  German  instruction  in  the 
schools  or  can't  understand  it.  I  did  not  advise 
to  drop  the  teaching  of  German  because  it  is 
difficult,  but  because  "there  is  not  real  necessity 
for  it." 

Does  Mr.  Advocate  of  German  mean  to  say 
that  we  shall  not  be  an  educated  nation  if  we  talk 
perfect  English  and  substitute  French,  Spanish 
and  Russian  for  German  in  our  public  schools, 
as  I  advocate  for  very  good  reasons? 

"The  future  uselessness  of  the  German  lan- 
guage is  a  matter  about  which  it  is  unsafe  to 
speculate.  None  can  predict  what  the  commer- 
cial development  of  the  next  few  decades  will  be. 
The  German  language  will  continue  to  be  im- 
portant in  the  future  ....  has  been  considered 

[35] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

of  sufficient  importance  in  the  curricula  of  our 
leading  universities,"  says  the  advocate  of  Ger- 
man. 

Do  not  worry,  sir.  The  Allies,  whose  eyes  have 
been  opened  to  a  real  understanding  of  the 
present  and  future  German  menace  which  will 
not  end  with  this  war,  will  confine  the  usefulness 
of  the  German  language  to  the  frontiers  of  Ger- 
many and  the  German- Austrian  provinces;  they 
must  make  the  commercial  development  of  the 
United  States,  of  Great  Britain  and  France  their 
leading  enterprise  and  must  do  all  in  their  power 
to  develop  the  individual,  commercial  and  po- 
litical interests  of  the  Slav  and  Latin  peoples,  as 
their  permanent  allies.  They  must  do  it,  or  the 
Germans  will  do  it  for  their  own  benefit! 

The  Teuton  leaders,  the  German  nation 
and  their  friends  know  the  economic  war 
against  them  must  come  j  they  are  terribly 
AFRAID  OF  IT.  It  means  the  doom  of  German  am- 
bitions. The  Allies  must  do  it  because  this  war 
is  only  the  first  act  in  the  world  drama:  Ger- 
many's attempt  at  world  conquest.  Germany 
WILL  TRY  IT  AGAIN !  Only  repeated  failures  will 
reform  the  German  nation  and  make  her  fit  for 
partnership. 

[36] 


GERMAN   IN  THE   SCHOOLS 
Many  subjects  of  limited  value  to  the  general 
public  are  in  curricula  of  universities ;  that  is  no 
argument  that  German  must  be  taught  in  our 
public  schools. 

"Shut  up  the  study  of  German  in  public  schools 
merely  because  it  is  the  tongue  of  our  enemies  or 
weakens  a  man's  love  for  his  own  country,"  are 
not  my  arguments.  I  said  to  eliminate  German 
because  it  is  a  well-known  fact  that  one  of  the 
vital  national  German  aims  is  to  make  the  GER- 
man kultur  a  weltkultur  and  the  german 
language  a  weltsprache  by  all  means  pos- 
sible, as  witness  propaganda  and  special 
funds  for  German  schools  in  foreign  lands. 
Germany  desires  to  impose  it  on  an  unwilling 
world  by  right  of  might.  By  teaching  German  in 
public  schools,  I  said  in  my  protest,  you  help  to 
make  German  language  a  Weltsprache.  I  said  in 
my  protest  to  bar  German  is  not  sufficient — but 
an  organized,  very  active,  and  universal  propa- 
ganda for  the  English  language  and  English  cul- 
ture, on  lines  indicated  by  me,  in  all  Slavic  and 
Latin  nations,  to  combat  the  German  propa- 
ganda, is  an  urgent  necessity  for  the  future  safety 
and  prosperity  of  the  United  States  and  our 
Allies.  Russia  is  ruined  by  German  propaganda 

[37] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 
antedating  the  war  and  by  the  Bolshevik  an- 
archists under  command  of  the  cowardly  Trot- 
zky  gang,  who  have  camouflaged  their  Jewish 
descent. 

The  war  will  not  be  won  by  hysteria — 
how  arrogant  to  call  anti- german  and  pro- 
american  propaganda  a  nervous  disease — 
but  dropping  of  german  from  public  schools 
will  hurt  the  germans  more  than  many 
lost  battles  by  striking  at  one  vital  german 
national  aim:  the  making  of  german  a 
weltsprache,  a  world  language! 

It  may  interest  the  advocates  of  German  that 
the  Teutons  are  waging  a  rabid  and  cruel  war 
against  the  Polish  language  and  Polish  culture 
in  the  Polish  provinces  of  Posen,  lands  inhabited 
by  Poles  from  time  immemorial,  their  ancestral 
homes.  The  Prussian  kings  have  promised  under 
oath  to  respect  the  Pole's  language  and  na- 
tionality; they  naturally  have  broken  the  Prus- 
sian sacred  pledges  and  try  to  exterminate  the 
Polish  language  by  inhuman  and  mean  persecu- 
tion. It  shows  how  much  the  Prussians  think  of 
the  power  of  one's  language. 

I  STAND  BY  MY  THESIS :  BAR  GERMAN  LANGUAGE 
FROM  PUBLIC  SCHOOLS  AND  SPREAD  THE  ENGLISH 

[38] 


GERMAN   IN  THE   SCHOOLS 

LANGUAGE  AND  ENGLISH  CULTURE  TO  EVERY 
CORNER  OF  THE  WORLD. 

Hail  to  the  Union  League  Club  and  Americans 
who  want  to  clean  of  Germanism  our  country! 

Let  the  Germans  and  their  friends  talk,  as  the 
Kaiser  said  to  the  Poles,  "wie  Ihnen  der  Schna- 
bel  gewachsen  ist"  in  their  homes!  (How  their 
beaks  have  grown.) 

New  Britain,  Conn.,  May  25,  1918. 


[39] 


VI 
LUSITANIA  DAY 

A  NATIONAL  MEMORIAL  OBSERVANCE  LEST 
WE  FORGET 

The  anniversary  of  the  sinking  of  the  Lusitania 
should  be  designated  a  national  memorial  day 
by  act  of  Congress  to  commemorate  the  mar- 
tyrdom of  American  men,  women  and  children 
who  perished  at  sea,  innocent  victims  of  the 
super-savage  German  submarine  warfare.  How 
ashamed  the  Huns  must  be  of  the  savage  human 
tribes  of  Borneo  and  New  Guinea  who  have 
mercy  and  pity  on  women  and  babies  of  their 
enemies. 

Lusitania  day  should  be  the  great  memorial 
day  for  all  American  heroes  fallen  in  the  present, 
the  most  sublime  and  unselfish  war  of  the  United 
States. 

Lusitania  day  should  be  an  everlasting  memo- 
rial, as  the  Roman  poet  says,  "aere  perennius" 
to  the  insane  brutality  of  the  Teutons  who  have 
violated  all  laws  of  God  and  man. 

[40] 


LUSITANIA  DAY 


When  the  war  is  over  and  wounds  are  healed, 
times,  conditions  and  men  have  changed,  we  may 
perhaps  forget  the  sufferings  and  sacrifices  of 
our  American  martyrs  and  heroes  as  many  great 
historic  events  have  been  forgotten.  That  cannot 
happen  if  Lusitania  day  is  made  a  national  me- 
morial day.  Future  generations  would  meet 
every  May  7  for  prayer,  to  pay  respect  to  their 
great  dead,  to  renew  their  pledge  of  readiness 
to  sacrifice  their  all  in  defence  of  national  honor 
and  country. 

On  May  7  the  Teutons  should  hear  forever  our 
"Remember  the  Lusitania!"  and  perhaps  a  new 
and  reformed  Germany,  ashamed  of  the  Lusi- 
tania murders,  would  answer,  "Never  again." 
Such  a  change  in  the  nature  of  the  Ger- 
man NATION  IS  POSSIBLE  ONLY  IF  THE  GERMAN 
PEOPLE  SUFFER  A  CRUSHING  DEFEAT,  IF  THE  GER- 
MAN NATION,  AFTER  ACCEPTING  THE  ALLIES' 
TERMS  OF  PEACE,  IS  PUT  ON  PROBATION  TO  KEEP 
PEACE  FOR  MANY  YEARS  TO  COME  BY  A  LEAGUE 
OF  NATIONS  IN  ARMS. 

The  men  who  talk  of  a  league  of  disarmed 
nations  after  this  war  are  simply  dreaming  of  an 
impossible  Utopian  condition  of  world  affairs, 
totally  forgetful  of  the  character,  organization 

[41] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

and  history  of  the  German  nation.  Have  Jena 
and  Austerlitz  broken  the  German  spirit?  Did 
Napoleon  with  his  crushing  victories,  Ger- 
many and  Austria  at  his  feet,  cower  the  Teutons 
for  a  long  time?  By  no  means.  The  Germans 
forced  the  Slavs  to  help  them  and,  driving  the 
Slav  soldiers  into  their  battles,  regained  their 
freedom. 

It  is  asserted  that  60  per  cent,  of  the  soldiers  in 
the  wars  of  liberation  from  Napoleon  were  Slav 
soldiers.  Millions  of  Slavs  were  brutally  forced 
by  Austria  to  fight  for  Germany  in  the  present 
war  against  their  own  national  interests.  On 
more  millions  of  Slavs  has  Germany  now  laid 
her  oppressing  hands  with  the  intention  to  use 
them  in  peace  as  cheap  laborers,  as  soldiers  and 
"Kanonenfutter"  in  war  to  conquer  the  world 
for  Germany's  use. 

On  this  Lusitania  day  let  every  wise  American 
say: 

"Germany,  we  did  not  know  you  before,  but 
now  we  are  sure  that  you  are  the  most  brutal 
outlaw  among  the  nations,  a  terror  and  a  menace 
to  human  progress,  freedom  and  civilization. 
We  shall  beat  you.  We  shall  force  you  to  keep 
peace  by  a  LEAGUE  OF  NATIONS  IN  ARMS.  We 

[42] 


LUSITANIA  DAY 


shall  free  the  Slav  nations  from  your  tyrannous 
grip,  your  unwilling  soldiers  in  war,  and  indus- 
trial slaves  in  peace.  Never  hereafter  shall  you 
find  us  unprepared  as  we  were  on  the  fateful 
May  7,  1915. 

"Hereafter,  we  will  forever  be  prepared  to 
meet  you  and  defeat  you  by  our  armed  forces 
in  the  air,  on  land,  on  sea  and  under  sea — 
American  forces,  raised  by  a  universal  mili- 
tary SERVICE — UNTIL  SUCH   NATIONAL  POLICY 

proves  to  be  mercenary  beyond  any  doubt 
whatever." 

Let  the  Lusitania  day  be  a  sacred  national 
memorial  day  and  ordered  so  by  act  of  con- 
GRESS of  the  United  States. 

New  Britain,  May  11,  1918. 


[43] 


VII 

THE  IRREDUCIBLE  MINIMUM  THAT 
POLAND  DEMANDS 

SHE  MUST  BE  REUNITED  AS  A  FREE  AND  IN- 
DEPENDENT STATE  DEMOCRATICALLY 
GOVERNED  AND  HAVING  ACCESS 
TO  THE  SEA 

May  a  graduate  of  a  Polish  university,  an  in- 
timate friend  of  such  Polish  leaders  as  the  late 
Francis  Smolka,  the  famous  President  of  the 
Austrian  Parliament,  and  Count  Dzieduszycki, 
tell  the  truth  about  Polish  aspirations? 

There  is  only  one  Polish  national  policy.  All 
Poles,  excepting  a  few  holding  offices  by  the 
grace  of  the  Austrian  Government,  are  agreed 
on  the  following  terms : 

i.  All  Polish  provinces,  such  as  Galicia, 
German  and  Russian  Poland,  must  be 
united  in  one  national  state  of  poland. 

2.  Poland  must  be  a  free  and  independent 

STATE. 

[44] 


THE  DEMANDS  OF  POLAND 

3.  Poland  must  have  a  democratic  govern- 
ment. 

4.  Poland  must  have  free  access  to  the 
sea;  Danzig  was  a  Polish  seaport  to  1792. 

5.  These  stipulations  must  be  guaranteed 
by  the  powers  at  the  coming  peace  confer- 
ence, to  which  representatives  of  the 
Polish  nation  must  be  summoned. 

No  other  terms,  as  those  of  semi-independence 
or  autonomy  under  protection  and  sovereignty 
of  a  foreign  Power,  can  ever  satisfy  the  Poles. 

The  United  States  through  President  Wilson 
demanded  a  free  and  united  Poland  in  January, 
191 7.  The  Poles  are  grateful  and  believe  that  the 
United  States  will  help  Poland  to  her  freedom 
more  than  any  other  Power.  The  Poles  know 
that  America's  victory  means  Poland's  victory 
and  independence.  That  explains  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  Poles  in  the  American  army  and  the  love 
of  the  Poles  for  America. 

The  relations  of  Poland  to  the  Allies  need  a 
little  explanation.  Poland  belongs  to  the  West  in 
thought,  spirit,  literature,  art  and  political  as- 
pirations, if  by  the  West  we  mean  France,  Italy 
and  England.  Poland's  heart  and  soul  were  al- 
ways and  are  with  France.  Poland's  history  is 

[45] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

full  of  wars  against  Tartars  and  Turks,  the 
brothers  in  spirit  and  arms  of  the  present-day 
Huns ;  they  were  wars  to  shield  European  civili- 
zation from  Ottoman  destruction. 

Poland  has  had  two  terrible  enemies.  One  is 
over  a  thousand  years  old,  the  Prussians  trans- 
mitting their  brutal  and  maniacal  ideas  of  exter- 
minating the  Polish  race  from  their  forefathers 
to  the  present  generation  of  Prussians.  The  other 
cruel  destroyer  and  oppressor  of  Poland  was 
autocratic  Russia,  a  member  of  the  Allies.  That 
Russian  autocracy  is  dead;  we  hope  gone  for- 
ever! The  new  Russia  has  declared  for  an  inde- 
pendent Poland,  partly  to  atone  for  past  wrongs, 
partly  from  motives  of  humanity  and  justice,  and 
partly  because  she  has  lost  the  ownership  of 
Polish  lands. 

So  the  Poles  have  at  present  only  one  im- 
placable ENEMY  WHOSE  BESTIAL  WRONGS,  A 
thousand  years  old,  can  never  be  forgotten  : 
Prussia. 

How  can  any  Pole  state  that  "Polish  interests 
are  in  accordance  with  those  of  the  Central 
Powers,"  and  claim  Polish  leadership?  If  he 
believes  so  he  has  a  distorted  personal  opinion. 
If  he  claims  to  be  a  representative  of  the  Poles 

[46] 


THE  DEMANDS  OF  POLAND 

he  is  a  fool  or  a  liar.  Nine  hundred  and  ninety- 
nine  Poles  out  of  a  thousand  are  pro-Ally.  A 
Teutonized  Poland  is  absolutely  impossible.  The 
German  language  and  customs,  German  politics 
and  aspirations,  are  sincerely  hated.  Polish  in- 
terests are  in  accord  with  the  present  aims  of  the 
Allies,  if  a  real  independent  and  united  Poland 
is  made  by  the  Allies  a  condition  sine  qua  non  of 
peace. 

Occasionally  statesmen  of  the  Allies  have 
spoken  in  vague  terms  about  a  free  or  "autono- 
mous" Poland.  That  is  not  satisfactory  to  the 
Poles.  We  Poles  want  and  need  a  collective,  of- 
ficial declaration  by  all  the  allied  Powers  that  no 
peace  is  possible  unless  Poland  is  independent, 
united  and  has  access  to  the  sea. 

Such  a  declaration  is  urgently  needed  (i)  to 
counteract  German  intrigues  and  (2)  because  we 
hear  lately  from  the  Allies  so  much  about  Al- 
sace-Lorraine and  Belgium  and  so  little  about 
Poland's  future  status,  and  (3)  because  of  a  dec- 
laration that  "no  dismemberment  of  empires"  is 
to  be  one  of  the  preliminary  terms  of  peace.  That 
is  dangerous  to  Poland's  cause. 

How  can  Poland  be  free  if  Austrian  and  Ger- 
man Poland  are   not   disannexed?  Poland  has 

[47] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 
been  so  much  sinned  against  by  the  Powers,  so 
many  times  disappointed  in  her  hopes,  so  many 
times  have  promises  given  her  been  broken. 
England's  policy  toward  Poland's  national 
claims  has  been  mostly  indifferent  in  the  past. 
France  cheered  Poland  often  with  kind  and  sym- 
pathetic words,  but  not  with  real,  material  and 
effective  help  to  gain  her  freedom.  Russia  merely 
oppressed  Poland. 

Now  the  Allies  must  not  forget  Poland 
again.  Her  claims  to  independence  are  by 
no  means  of  less  importance  than  Bel- 
gium's. The  mistakes  of  the  past  must  be 
made  good.  all  poland  waits  anxiously  for 
an  official  collective  declaration  by  all 
the  Allies  that  no  peace  is  possible  with- 
out A  FREE  UNITED  POLAND. 

Then  let  the  Allies  organize  and  lead  Polish 
armies  under  Poland's  flag  from  Russia,  France 
and  America. 

September  26,  191 7. 


[48] 


VIII 
THE  POLE'S  NATIONALITY 

A  CALL  FOR  THE  RECOGNITION  OF  POLAND 
AS  AN  INDEPENDENT  STATE 

May  I  respectfully  beg  you  to  use  the  influence 
of  your  paper  to  gain  for  the  Poles  in  the  United 
States  the  right  to  register  as  Poles  and  not  force 
on  them  the  outrage  of  being  considered  as 
Germans  or  Austrians?  I  am  a  Pole,  and  believe 
me,  sir,  it  breaks  my  heart  to  be  branded  as 
Austrian.  Every  student  of  history  knows  that 
the  Poles  hate  the  Teutons,  their  enemies  for  the 
last  1,000  years.  So  long  has  been  the  struggle  for 
existence  of  the  Polish  nation  against  the  Ger- 
mans! I  may  say  it  is  an  everyday  war,  because 
when  it  is  not  a  war  WITH  ARMS  ON  THE  BATTLE- 
FIELDS IT  IS  AN  ENDLESS  FIGHT  AGAINST  INDUS- 
TRIAL, FINANCIAL  AND  POLITICAL  TEUTON  DOM- 
INATION. 

The  Poles  in  America  have  the  same  feelings 
against  the  Germans.  They  dislike  Austrians  and 
Germans  more  sincerely  than  Americans  could 

[49] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 
ever  do,  because  they  have  suffered  untold 
miseries  at  the  hands  of  Teutons  before  coming 
to  this  country. 

In  this  critical  war  time  as  always  in  the  past 
the  Poles  have  only  sentiments  of  gratitude,  re- 
spect, loyalty  and  love  for  the  Government  and 
the  citizens  of  the  United  States.  They  REALIZE 
that  America's  victory  is  Poland's  victory, 
that  their  only  true  friends  are  the  amer- 
ICANS. 

Now  it  is  alleged  that  the  United  States  and  the 
Allies  are  aiming  to  see  Poland  united  and  inde- 
pendent. In  January,  1917,  President  Wilson 
said  that  all  statesmen  have  agreed  on  it.  De- 
cember 4,  1 9 17,  the  President  said  that  he  was 
thinking  of  Poland.  Why  could  not  America 
give  some  concrete  expression  to  these  aims  in 
recognizing  Poland  as  an  independent  state, 
whose  frontiers  are  to  be  drawn  exactly  at  the 
peace  conference,  and  give  the  Poles  in  America 
the  right  to  register  as  Poles?  The  Central 
Powers  have  already  recognized  some  kind  of 
an  independent  Poland.  It  cannot  hurt  the 
United  States  to  take  such  a  step.  Such  a  recog- 
nition of  the  Poles  as  an  independent  nation 
would 

[50] 


THE  POLE'S  NATIONALITY 

i.  Define  properly  the  status  of  all  Poles  in  the 
United  States; 

2.  Allow  the  Poles  to  register  as  what  they  are, 
as  Poles; 

3.  Help  the  Poles  in  Europe  in  their  fight  for 
freedom  and  liberty. 

A  nation  of  twenty  million  Poles  waits 
anxiously  for  America's  recognition  of  Poland's 
independence. 

America,  we  pray,  call  us  by  our  historic  right 
and  dear  name  of  Poles.  We  hate  to  be  considered 
as  Germans,  Austrians  or  Russians. 

New  Britain,  Conn.,  December  7,  19 17. 


[51] 


IX 
POLAND  AND  GERMANY 

A    DISSECTION    OF   THE    INFAMOUS   TERMS 
OFFERED  BY  THE  PRUSSIANS 

The  Poles  can  neither  consider  seriously  nor 
accept  nor  tolerate  without  violent  protests  Ger- 
many's plan  for  a  free  Poland  as  published  by 
the  Augsburg  Abend  Zeitung.  That  plan  is  an 
attempt  to  destroy  in  instalments  the  national, 
political  and  industrial  body  of  Poland.  Such  a 
brutal  policy  can  be  imposed  on  Poland  only  by 
a  permanent  military  occupation  of  the  country 
by  Prussian  executioners. 

Poland's  answer  will  be  a  continuous  revolt 
against  the  Germans.  Down  with  Prussia !  Down 
with  Austria!  We  wish  all  as  just  punishment, 
miseries  and  defeat  to  the  German  oppressors  of 
Poland,  whose  policy  since  Bismarck's  time  is 
to  exterminate  the  Poles.  Glory  and  triumph  are 
due  to  America  that  promised  us  a  united,  free 
and  independent,  democratic  Poland  with  access 
to  the  seas. 

[52] 


POLAND  AND  GERMANY 

The  promises  to  Poland  cannot  be  kept,  the 
Polish  problem  not  justly  solved,  without  disan- 
nexing  from  Austria  Galicia  and  part  of  Silesia ; 
from  Germany  Posen  and  parts  of  East  Prussia 
and  Silesia.  Prussia  would  consider  it  a  supreme 
sacrifice  to  return  the  stolen  Polish  lands.  SHE 
will  concede  it  only  when  her  own  armies 
have  crossed  in  flight  the  rhine  back  into 
Germany,  when  the  Allies'  armies  have 
taken  Trieste  and  Laibach  and  driven  the 
Germans  from  Poland  and  Russia.  Many 
Poles  sometimes  doubt  that  the  Allies 
would  insist  on  it  for  poland's  sake  but  for 
America's  interference. 

The  Poles  have  so  many  times  been  disap- 
pointed in  their  hopes  by  the  European  Powers 
that  they  really  have  the  fullest  confidence  and 
faith  only  in  the  justice  and  strength  of  America. 
We  believe  that  America  will  not  compromise 
on  the  Polish  problem,  and  will  influence  the 
Allies  to  stand  by  Poland.  Let  us  now  interpret 
the  German  conditions  to  a  free  Poland: 

"The  frontiers  will  be  fixed  by  the  German 
high  command  according  to  military  necessi- 
ties." 

It  means  a  slicing  in  all  directions  of  important 

[53] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

parts  of  Russian  Poland,  as  the  districts  of  Dom- 
brovo,  Lodz,  Chelm,  Lomza,  Grodno,  the  re- 
duction of  Poland  to  a  little  more  than  the  prov- 
ince of  Warsaw. 

"The  Polish  army  will  be  restricted  to  90,000." 

An  impotent  army  sufficient  to  police  the  coun- 
try, but  unable  to  defend  Poland  against  the  at- 
tacks of  a  strong  neighbor. 

"For  fifty  years  Poland  must  make  most  favor- 
able economic  concessions  to  the  Central  Powers 
on  the  principle  of  the  most  favored  nation." 

That  means  economical,  industrial  and  finan- 
cial enslavement  of  Poland  by  Germany,  a  con- 
scription of  all  Poland's  future  wealth  by  Prus- 
sia. 

"Publication  of  German,  Austrian,  Hungarian, 
Bulgarian  and  Turkish  papers  must  be  al- 
lowed." 

We  can't  understand  it.  There  is  not  an  Aus- 
trian language.  Hungarians,  Bulgars  and  Turks 
are  not  living  in  Poland.  Do  the  satanic  Teutons 
intend  forcibly  to  colonize  Poland  with  such 
people? 

"In  any  locality  where  there  are  ten  German 
children  a  German  school  will  be  opened." 

That  means  a  German  school  in  every  Polish 

[54] 


POLAND  AND  GERMANY 
village,  because  where  there  are  not  three  Ger- 
man families  the  Germans  will  always  find  three 
Jewish  families  willing  to  register  as  Germans. 
It  means  a  Germanization  of  Poland  by  force 
and  Poland  to  pay  the  costs  of  it.  Ninety-eight 
per  cent,  of  the  Jews  in  Poland,  the  millions  of 
them,  would  be  supporters  of  German  schools 
and  Germanization.  A  terrible  future  for  the 
native  Poles. 

"The  German  conditions  will  be  incorporated 
in  the  constitution,  which  cannot  be  modified 
without  the  approval  of  the  Central  Powers." 

That  amounts  practically  to  slavery.  No  free 
and  independent  state  could  accept  such  condi- 
tions. Such  a  German  Poland  would  be  a  repu- 
diation of  all  high  aims  of  the  Allies  in  this  war, 
a  negation  of  all  human  rights  to  which  the 
Poles  are  entitled  as  well  as  the  British,  the 
French  or  others. 

We  believe  that  America  will  never  allow 
Germany  to  enslave  the  Poles  in  such  an 
infamous  and  terrible  way.  we  trust  amer- 
ICA. She  is  the  great  hope  of  Poland  and  all 
the  Slavs. 

July  12,  1918. 

[55] 


X 

BURIAN'S  PRETENCES 

THE  FALSENESS  OF  HIS  WORDS  ON  AUSTRIA'S 
SITUATION  EXPOSED 

Baron  Burian  does  not  speak  for  the  national- 
ities of  Austria  and  Hungary.  He  may  represent 
his  weak  master,  Karl  von  Hapsburg,  by  whose 
grace  he  holds  office  and  draws  a  fat  salary,  and 
perhaps  a  minority  of  the  Germans  of  Austria 
and  the  Magyars  of  Hungary.  I  say  a  minority 
because  the  majority  of  the  Austrian  Germans 
are  worshippers  of  the  Potsdam  gang  and  look  to 
a  unification  with  Germany,  and  the  majority  of 
the  Hungarians  dream  of  a  complete  independ- 
ence for  Hungary  with  privileges  to  continue 
the  present  oppression  of  the  non-Magyar  races 
of  Hungary. 

Baron  Burian  represents  the  yellow  and  black 
striped  mentality  (yellow  and  black  are  the  Aus- 
trian national  colors)  of  the  Austro-Hungarian 
government    employees.    They    are    creatures 

[56] 


BURIAN'S    PRETENCES 

without  soul,  character  and  true  morality.  They 
have  sold  their  all  to  the  government  to  climb 
higher  the  ladder  of  officialdom  for  high  sala- 
ries, decorations,  titles  and  official  honors.  Their 
manners  are  very  polite.  The  faculties  of  their 
minds  are  limited.  The  importance  of  their  office 
is  measured  by  their  ability  to  lie  and  lie,  to 
break  promises,  to  master  the  arts  of  hypocrisy 
and  intrigue.  Baron  Burian  is  for  the  moment 
their  master.  He  represents  only  those  yellow- 
black  officials.  His  last  speech  is  nothing  but  a 
web  of  lies.  The  only  true  passages  are  those  re- 
ferring to  America  and  the  Allies'  moral  and 
just  aims.  We  are  glad  that  at  least  he  is  able  to 
understand  it. 

How  contemptible  is  Baron  Burian  when  he 
asserts : 

"These  States  with  their  various  nationalities 
are  no  accidental  structure,  but  a  product  of  his- 
torical and  ethnographical  necessity  which  carry 
in  themselves  the  fundamental  principle  of  life 
and  race." 

Certainly  they  are  not  an  accidental  structure, 
but  a  historical  enslavement  of  different  races  by 
the  sword  and  fire  of  conquest,  by  plunder  and 
intrigue  and  by  those  famous  imperial  marriages 

[57] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

expressed  in  the  motto :  "Tu  f elix  Austria  nube" 
(You  Austria  fortunate  by  marriages). 

Has  Baron  Burian  forgotten  the  revolutionary 
years  of  1848,  1849  anc*  1867,  that  the  Austrian 
constitution  camouflaged  by  the  notorious  para- 
graph 14  was  given  to  the  people  after  lost  wars 
and  revolutions?  Does  he  not  know  that  the 
policies  of  Vienna  and  Budapest  are  hated  and 
cursed  by  the  great  majority  of  the  people  every 
hour  of  every  day;  that  since  1848  all  national- 
ities of  Austria  fight  and  struggle  for  release 
from  the  Austro-Hungarian  terrible  prison  to 
national  freedom,  independence  and  unity  with 
the  national  fragments  on  the  frontiers  of  Aus- 
tria-Hungary? 

Has  Baron  Burian  forgotten  the  resolutions  of 
all  Poles  for  independence  in  May,  1917,  in  Cra- 
cow? Is  he  deaf  to  the  incessant  clamorous  claims 
of  all  Czechs,  Jugoslavs,  Italians  and  Ruma- 
nians and  others  for  separation  from  Austria- 
Hungary?  He  keeps  them  down  only  by  brute 
force  of  arms,  oppression  of  every  kind,  execu- 
tions by  the  tens  of  thousands,  and  when  in  need 
or  cowardly  flight  from  the  battlefield  appeals 
to  the  Hohenzollern  hangman  for  help  to  per- 
petuate that  despicable  tyranny. 

[58] 


BURIAN'S    PRETENCES 

How  shameless  to  call  such  conditions  "fun- 
damental principle  of  life  and  race."  "As  has 
always  been  the  case  for  centuries  past,  the  states 
and  races  of  the  monarchy  will  settle  their  in- 
ternal problems  in  agreement  with  their  ruler." 
You  must  be  blind,  deaf  and  dumb,  Baron 
Burian.  We  all  are  in  this  fight  to  make  a  cen- 
turies-old oppression  impossible.  Your  master,  a 
weakling  and  servant  of  the  Kaiser,  the  son  of 
an  unworthy  father  and  a  member  of  a  family 
of  stupid  tyrants,  may  have  to  choose  between  a 
life  with  the  present  fortunes  of  Nicholas  II  of 
Russia  or  something  worse. 

Neither  you  nor  your  kind  will  settle  the  affairs 
of  the  oppressed  nationalities  of  Austria-Hun- 
gary. It  will  be  done  by  their  chosen  representa- 
tives at  the  peace  conference. 

The  great  majority  of  the  subjects  of  Austria- 
Hungary  hope,  believe  and  trust  to  hear  the 
answer  of  the  great  American  Republic  and 
because  of  her  interference  the  answer  of  the 
Allies  to  Baron  Burian's  arrogant  peace  feelers 
as  follows : 

We  are  in  this  war  for  justice  and  freedom  and 
independence  of  every  nationality  imprisoned  in 
the  state  of  Austria-Hungary.  Nothing  is  by 

[59] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

human  and  moral  right  Austrian  but  the  Ger- 
man provinces  of  Austria,  nothing  Hungarian 
but  the  land  inhabited  by  the  8,000,000  Magyars, 
That  may  be  free  and  independent.  The  German 
Austria  may  exist  as  a  free  state  or  unite  with 
Germany.  The  Czechs,  Slovaks  and  Moravians 
will  form  a  free  Bohemia.  The  Poles  belong  to 
a  free  united  Poland.  The  Serbs,  meaning  the 
Slovenes,  Croats  and  Serbs,  will  form  a  free 
greater  Serbia.  The  Italians,  Rumanians  and 
Ruthenians  will  be  attached  to  their  respective 
mother  countries.  We  do  not  annex,  we  simply 
are  resolved  to  return  the  stolen  liberties,  the 
stolen  independence  to  their  rightful  owners,  the 
people,  in  accord  with  the  laws  of  God  and  man. 
It  is  our  resolve,  our  pledge.  No  compromise  is 
possible.  It  is  the  aim  of  our  supreme  sacrifices, 
the  only  foundation  and  guarantee  of  a  just  and 
lasting  peace. 

Julius  Hupert,  M.  D. 

New  Britain,  Conn.,  July  19. 


[60] 


XI 
BEAT  GERMANY! 

THAT  IS  THE  SUPREME  TASK  AND  DUTY  OF 
THE  UNITED  STATES 

I  beg  you  to  print  on  the  top  of  your  paper,  just 
over  the  title  The  Sun,  the  following  phrase : 

To  beat  Germany  is  the  United  States'  supreme 
duty  and  chief  business. 

Doing  it  and  inducing  other  patriotic  news- 
papers to  follow  you,  you  may  do  more  good  than 
expected.  Such  a  motto  printed  on  the  top  of 
every  American  paper  will  remind  thousands  of 
their  duty  every  day. 

An  enormous  peace  propaganda  is  tacitly  and 
openly  carried  on.  You  understand  that  peace 
at  the  present  time  means  admission  of  a  German 
victory  and  a  German  peace;  it  is  humiliation 
and  more  or  less  of  enslavement  by  Germany  of 
every  nation  of  the  world. 

TO  THINK  OF  PEACE  BEFORE  BEATING  GERMANY 
IS  WEAKNESS,  TO  TALK  OF  IT  BEFORE  VICTORY  IS 

[61] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

FOLLY,  TO  BARGAIN  WITH  GERMANY  BEFORE  DE- 
FEATING Germany  is  a  desperate  surrender. 

Many  Americans  do  not  realize  it  because  they 
do  not  know  that  the  Germans  are  not  able  and  fit 
to  think,  to  feel  and  act  like  the  free  Americans. 

With  the  blood  of  their  forefathers  the  Ger- 
mans have  inherited  the  lust  to  war  on  their 
neighbors,  to  murder  them,  to  plunder  them  of 
land,  wealth  and  political  freedom.  This  in- 
herited maniacal  desire  for  war  has  been  enor- 
mously increased  by  the  peculiar  German  educa- 
tion and  military  propaganda,  whose  national 
policies  are  expressed  in  mottoes  as  "DRANG 
nach  osten"  and  "Deutchland  uber  alles." 

I  know  the  Germans  very  well.  That  is  why  I 
tell  you  they  are  not  able  to  think  as  free  men  do. 

A  peace  with  such  rascals,  victorious  as  they  are 
now,  would  be  a  calamity  for  the  United  States 
and  the  other  nations.  That  urges  me  to  ask  you 
to  print  every  day  on  the  top  of  The  Sun: 

"To  beat  Germany  is  the  United  States' 

SUPREME  DUTY  AND  CHIEF  BUSINESS." 
New  Britain,  Conn.,  March  13,  1918. 


[62] 


XII 
THE  CAUSES  OF  THE  WAR 

[Published  in  The  Hartford  Times,  August  15,  1914.] 

"Freedom  for  the  Poles  and  the  other  op- 
pressed races  of  Europe  is  the  only  guarantee  for 
peace  in  Europe." 

The  real  causes  of  the  present  world  crisis,  the 
Pan-European  war,  are  misunderstood,  when 
the  assassination  of  the  Austrian  Crown  Prince 
and  the  desire  of  the  Serbian  people  for  political 
unification  are  proffered  as  the  causes  of  the 
present  war.  That  tragic  act  was  only  the  spark 
which  lighted  the  European  powder  house. 

Since  1846,  the  different  races  of  Europe  are 
trying  by  legal  and  legislative  work,  and  by  revo- 
lutions and  wars,  to  establish : 

First.  National,  independent,  political  states. 

Second.  To  replace  autocracies  by  democratic 
governments.  The  Italians  had  to  fight  Austria 
in  1859,  to  get  a  united  and  democratic  Italy. 
Only  a  part  of  Italy,  the  Trentino  and  Trieste, 

[63] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

suffers  still  under  Austrian  government.  The 
Prussians  had  to  crush  Austria  in  1866  and  to 
triumph  over  France  in  1870,  to  unite  the  big 
majority  of  the  Germans  into  one  political 
Empire.  THAT  UNIFICATION  IS  NOT  FINISHED, 

as  the  10,000,000  Austrian- Germans  are  to 
be  united  into  a  new  and  bigger  germany. 

The  creation  of  the  independent  states  of  Ru- 
mania, Serbia,  Bulgaria,  Greece,  Montenegro 
and  at  last  Albania,  was  the  result  of  several 
wars.  But  that  process  of  "NATIONALIZATION" 
of  races  is  not  completed.  Some  races,  as  the 
Poles,  Czechs,  Slovaks,  Slavonians,  are  totally 
ignored;  others,  as  the  Serbs,  Rumanians,  are 
only  partially  independent;  large  fragments  of 
these  races  are  under  an  oppressing  Austro-Hun- 
garian  domination.  Let  us  review  the  oppressed 
races  of  Europe: 

First.  The  Poles.  Twenty  millions,  once  a 
mighty  kingdom,  divided  in  three  parts  by  the 
most  infamous  political  crime,  called  the  parti- 
tion of  Poland.  In  Germany  are  three  and  a  half 
millions  living  under  terrible  oppression. 
Mighty  Prussia  is  waging  a  war  of  extermina- 
tion on  their  Polish  citizens  by  colonization  of 
Polish  lands  with  Germans,  by  dispossession,  by 

[64] 


THE   CAUSES   OF  THE  WAR 

driving  out  the  Polish  language  from  all  schools, 
courts,  offices  and  public  meetings  of  Poles.  All 
officials  and  teachers  are  Germans.  The  hatred 
of  Prussians  for  the  Poles  is  an  obsession.  They 
fear  the  vision  of  a  free  Poland  as  the  murderer 
the  ghost  of  his  victims. 

In  Russia  are  living  12,000,000  Poles.  Their  op- 
pression by  the  Russian  government  is  just  as  bad 
as  in  Germany.  Any  movement  in  Petersburg  to 
make  the  conditions  of  the  Poles  in  Russia  more 
bearable  was,  as  a  rule,  to  be  strongly  opposed  by 
the  authorities  in  Berlin. 

In  Austria  are  living  4,500,000  Poles.  They 
have  a  partial  autonomy.  Pay  for  it,  heavy  taxes, 
must  serve  in  the  Austrian  army  and  fight  in  the 
Austrian  wars. 

These  twenty  million  of  suffering  Poles 
want,  work  for,  and  dream  of  a  united 
Poland,  a  free,  independent,  democratic 
Poland.  They  hate  all  three  oppressors,  they 
wait  with  anxiety  for  the  result  of  the  present 
war!  Their  beloved  country  is  devastated  by  the 
present  war,  Poland  being  the  battlefield  of  the 
three  enemies,  the  flower  of  their  manhood  is 
forced  to  battle  for  the  hated  oppressors.  They 
hope  France  and  Great  Britain  may  build  a 

[65] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

free  Poland,  but  they  may  be  deceived  as  in  the 
past. 

Second.  The  Czechs,  Bohemians.  They  are 
seven  millions  and  live  all  in  Austria  and  hate 
the  Germans.  They  are  industrious,  thrifty,  cul- 
tured, prosperous.  Their  sympathies  are  with 
Russia.  They  desire  to  have  the  Kingdom  of 
Bohemia  revived.  It  was  crushed  by  Austria. 
The  Czechs  want  a  free  democratic  Bo- 
hemia. 

Third.  Two  million  Slovaks  in  northwestern 
Hungary  are  oppressed  by  the  Magyar  govern- 
ment of  Budapest.  They  desire  home  rule,  they 
hate  the  Hungarians. 

Fourth.  Seven  million  Serbs-Croatians  living 
in  the  southern  part  of  Austria  and  Hungary. 
They  have  only  partial  autonomy.  The  Serbians 
and  Croatians  are  really  brothers.  The  Croatians 
are  Roman-Catholic  and  use  Latin  letters  for  the 
Serbian  language,  while  the  Serbs  are  mostly 
Greek-Orthodox  and  use  Greek  letters.  They 

WANT     A     UNIFICATION     WITH     INDEPENDENT 

Serbia.  They  are  suffering  for  centuries  from 
Austro-Hungarian  oppression. 

Fifth.  Slavonians,  1,500,000  of  them  in  south- 
ern Austria  and  Dalmatia.  They  are  a  part  of 

[66] 


THE   CAUSES   OF  THE  WAR 

the  southern  Slavs,  desiring  their  political  free- 
dom. 

Sixth.  Ruthenians,  3,500,000  in  Austria  and 
Hungary  and  11,000,000  in  Russia,  dream  of  a 
political  independence.  They  never  were  a  po- 
litical entity,  like  the  Albanians,  but  they  are  a 
Slavic  race  to  be  distinguished  from  the  proper 
Russian  by  language  and  religion,  being  mostly 
Greek-Catholics. 

Seventh.  Rumanians,  a  Latin  race,  4,000,000  of 
them  oppressed  by  Austria  and  Hungary,  desire 
a  unification  with  the  independent  Kingdom  of 
Rumania.  They  were  once  united. 

Eighth.  One  million  Italians  under  Austria 
desire  unification  with  Italy. 

Ninth.  Hungarians,  9,000,000,  have  the  most 
of  privileges  under  Austrian  domination,  but 
want  a  wholly  independent  state  of  their  own 
and  to  get  it  in  1848  and  1867  were  fighting 
Austria.  They  hate  the  Austrian-Germans,  but 
oppress  and  try  in  vain  to  Magyarize  the  Slavs 
and  Rumanians  in  Hungary. 

Tenth.  Ten  million  Austrian-Germans  dom- 
inate the  other  races  of  the  Austrian  Empire, 
but  a  majority  want  a  unification  with  Germany. 

[67] 


EMANCIPATION  OF  THE  SLAVS 

Eleventh.  Two  million  Albanians  in  process  of 
creating  an  independent  political  state. 

Eleven  races  and  72,000,000  of  dissatisfied 
people,  the  majority  of  them  forced  together  by 
cruel  conquest  into  THAT  POLITICAL  COMPOUND 
OF  INCOMPATIBILITIES  CALLED  AUSTRIA-HUN- 
GARY.  The  majority  of  them  oppressed,  misgov- 
erned and  bullied  into  submission  by  the  Ger- 
man government  of  Austria,  in  Vienna,  or  the 
Magyar  government  in  Budapest.  All  under  the 
supreme  command  of  the  Berlin  government 
and  the  interests  of  Deutschland  uber  alles ! 

Every  one  of  these  oppressed  races  aspires  to  be 
a  national,  independent,  political  state,  and 
works  for  that  ideal  since  1846.  It  is  their  natural 
right  to  be  independent  as  are  France,  England, 
Italy,  Germany,  etc.  These  races,  except  the 
Austrian-Germans,  at  present  conquered,  perse- 
cuted and  oppressed  by  German,  Russian  and 
Magyar  power  must  in  time  win  their  political 
freedom  and  will  fight  to  get  their  freedom, 
their  human  rights. 

The  conditions  sine  qua  non,  to  give  the  op- 
pressed races  of  Europe  their  freedom,  are : 

1.  The  dissolution  of  that  political  compound 
of    incompatibilities    called    Austro-Hungary; 

[68] 


THE   CAUSES   OF  THE   WAR 

and  that  process  started  in  1859  when  Austria 
lost  her  Italian  provinces. 

2.  The  transformation  of  the  present  empires 
and  military,  aristocratic  and  clerical  autoc- 
racies INTO  DEMOCRATIC  REPUBLICS.  The  desire 
of  the  oppressed  races  for  a  national,  political, 
independent  life,  and  the  longing  of  the  people 
for  a  real  democratic  government  for  the  people 
and  by  the  people  on  one  hand,  and  the  unwill- 
ingness of  the  ruling  autocracies  to  yield  to  the 
people  their  power  on  the  other  hand,  are  the 
real  causes  of  the  European  war. 

The  dismemberment  of  Austria-Hungary,  the 
creation  of  independent  republics  of  every  race, 
is  the  only  guarantee  of  a  permanent  peace  in 
Europe.  The  present  war  may  fulfill  that  mis- 
sion, partially  or  completely.  If  the  latter 
results,  the  war  will  be  blessed  by  future  genera- 
tions ! 

New  Britain,  Conn.,  August  13,  1914. 


[69] 


1 

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